100 Meters From Shore, Part 1: From Acceptance to Cancellation

The title of this composition does not entirely reveal its purpose.  But it will, I hope, become clear as we venture further into explaining what happened to my book's publication as of October 1, 2012.

As stated in the blog, "So What Happened?" I intend to tell you what took place between myself and my former publishing company, Passionate Writer Publishing out of Indianapolis, IN.  Some ground rules first.  I will not engage in innuendo, but stick to the facts as I can prove them.  This will include the use of emails in defense of my case.  I will not directly name the names of employees of Passionate Writer Publishing (PWP), but will omit them or use aliases in their place.  I will not use personal pronouns such as he, she, her, him, etc, because that, too, will erase potential anonymity which I am trying to preserve.

I will engage in speculation from time to time, but will do so under the rubric that the evidence - emails and other information - I use to do so, bolsters (if not proves) my speculation to be accurate, if not 100% correct.

I will vent my feelings in the course of this examination, for I do indeed feel betrayed after more than 1.25 year's work with PWP to bring this story to fruition and to market.

So let's begin.  I've a lot to say, and I hope that in this process I'll be able to present it to you in a logical and correct perspective.


Dead-Stop Cancellation

The place to begin this odyssey therefore is with the email of 10/1/12, which follows below. 

********************************

Monday, October 1, 2012 6:44 AM

 



Per our Director please see below...

In light of recent publishing industry changes Passionate Writer Publishing (PWP and all subsidiaries) will no longer function as a traditional publisher. As of October 1^st, 2012 PWP will operate as a self-publishing company.

 

Throughout this year we’ve tried our best to maintain our high standard of publishing, however with less than 1% of our authors marketing/promoting their titles it’s all for nothing. As a publisher we spend out $1000’s to take a book from manuscript to print while our authors fail to spend $20 in an effort to promote their own work.

 

For all titles in any stage of the publishing process who have not completed the publishing process this will serve as your reversion of rights. For all titles which have completed the process this is non-applicable and will remain bound by their contract with PWP.

 

Reversion of Rights returns the right of materials provided to PWP to the author and excludes any work completed by PWP to include but not limited to: editing, formatting, and cover design. Pursuant to section 21 of PWP’s publishing contracts authors are allowed up to 30 days to pay for work completed by PWP. As a courtesy the amount will be set at $199 across the board. Anything after the 30 day period will fall under our regular self-publishing rates.

 

 

Any authors found using works completed by PWP without paying the amount set forth will be in violation and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Pursuant to section 24 this agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana. This clause shall survive the termination of this agreement.

 

In an effort to maintain author integrity we will consistently peruse bookseller/distributor sites to ensure the above mentioned is adhered to. Any works found in violation will be investigated and notification will be sent to the bookseller in question while our legal team will handle matters with the author.

 

For reversion of rights payments for works completed by PWP please use this link for processing: http://passionatewriterpublishing.com/invoicedservices.htm.

 

 

Also, effective immediately are policy changes to events. Authors must pay for their space to vend at events. We will no longer hold spaces for authors unless payments have been made. This is due to several authors backing out at the last minute.

Sincerely (name omitted)

Director

Passionate Writer Publishing

(name omitted)
Team Lead
Formatting
Passionate Writer Publishing

 

********************************

 

 

Now then, several things come to light with this email.  One of the things I noted at once was that it came from the formatting lead (the individual working on my manuscript, and the stage it was in at the time) and not from the director of PWP themself.  Nothing was addressed on official PWP letterhead, nor even sent from the personal and official email address of the D/PWP. 

 

Secondly, the date of this email.  It came to me on the very same day of its enactment, giving me no time to react or protest, for the decision had already been made, and accomplished.  My only reaction therefore could have been to accept the conclusion and then wonder what happened, and why.

 

Third, and perhaps first in order of importance, is that this email's declaration obviously included my manuscript.  The reason it did so was because the formatting lead had not yet finished formatting my story when this apparent order came down for them to stop.

 

Fourth, note from the email that the D/PWP states that PWP will function as a self-publishing company due to various issues that have arisen over the course of the last business year, 2011-2012.  See paragraphs 1 and 2.

 

Fifth, note the Reversion of Rights notification in paragraph 4 and the subsequent demand of a $199 payment in the same paragraph.

 

Sixth, note the notification of legal action against those found violating the Reversion of Rights terms of paragraph 5 and the author contract referenced in that same paragraph.  Also note the notice of subsequent legal action included in paragraphs 5 & 6 as a whole.

 

 

How Did This Make Me Feel?

 

Well you can probably guess.  Like the rug had been pulled out from under my feet!  After signing a contract with PWP on 7/3/11, and working patiently, diligently, and with much toil, with them to get this manuscript polished, re-polished, and perfected, essentially less than a month from a release date, everything is exploded in my face!  Or, to use the metaphorical title I mentioned above - with the ship less than a 100 meters from shore, PWP cancels the original 7/3/11 contract, and turns the vessel around to head back to the original port of call.  Did I find this outrageous?

 

You bet I did!

 

And for more than just the 10/1/12 email's "explanations" of why it was happening, or even the fact that I and this company had been engaged in more than a year's worth of work to get it done.  The next place, then, to examine this matter is the constant string of delays toward publication and release encountered over the last year.  I will detail those in part 2 of this blog.

 

Until then...

To the upward reach of man.